Tokyo to contribute to Syria aid fund

MUNICH – Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday in a meeting with German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier that Tokyo will offer about €10 million (¥1.4 billion) for a German-led fund to help civil war-stricken Syria, Japanese officials said.

The Japanese government has already announced about ¥12.5 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria and will use part of the sum for the fund, they said.

During the meeting in Munich, the two foreign ministers also agreed to strengthen cooperation in promoting reform of the U.N. Security Council.

They also reaffirmed the need to seek a free trade pact between Japan and the European Union, the officials said.